Patents by Inventor Keith A. Couch

Keith A. Couch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090032439
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for combusting dry gas to heat the air supplied to an FCC regenerator to increase its temperature and minimize production of undesirable combustion products. Preferably, the dry gas is a selected FCC product gas. Alternatively or additionally, dry gas from an FCC product stream is separated and delivered to an expander to recover power before combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Keith A. Couch, Xin X. Zhu, James P. Glavin
  • Publication number: 20090035191
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for combusting dry gas to heat the air fed to an FCC regenerator to increase its temperature and minimize production of undesirable combustion products. Preferably, the dry gas is a selected FCC product gas. Alternatively or additionally, dry gas from an FCC product stream is separated and delivered to an expander to recover power before combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Keith A. Couch, Xin X. Zhu, James P. Glavin
  • Publication number: 20080152562
    Abstract: Apparatus and process for increasing mixing in a regenerator. Streamlines of gas and some catalyst may form in a regenerator as a result of cyclone inlet horns positioned in the same direction. Overall mixing in the regenerator may decrease because of these streamlines. A dampening device may be used to interrupt the streamlines and increase mixing in the regenerator. The dampening device may be a baffle and direct streamlines from the outside of the chamber toward the center to collide and mix. In another embodiment, a dampening device may be a secondary disengager positioned above the disengager near the center of an upper chamber of a regenerator. The secondary disengager may be a T-disengager or may have an inverted can arrangement that may discharge gas and catalyst near the center of the upper chamber and interrupt the streamlines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Robert L. Mehlberg, Mohammad Reza Mostofi Ashtiani, Keith A. Couch
  • Publication number: 20080152563
    Abstract: Apparatus and process for increasing mixing in a fluidized bed. A slide, which may be in the form of a tube or trough, transports particles from an upper zone downward to a lower zone at a different horizontal position, thereby changing the horizontal position of the particle and creating lateral mixing in the fluidized bed. Increased mixing may improve efficiency for an apparatus using a fluidized bed. For example, increased lateral mixing in a regenerator may increase temperature and oxygen mixing and reduce stagnation to improve efficiency. A slide may be relatively unobtrusive, inexpensive, and simple for a retrofit or design modification and may improve combustion efficiency at high rates by enhancing the lateral blending of spent and regenerated catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Brian W. Hedrick, Keith A. Couch, Robert L. Mehlberg, Mohammad Reza Mostofi Ashtiani
  • Publication number: 20080081937
    Abstract: Processing schemes and arrangements for application of a dividing wall separation column in the processing of an effluent resulting from FCC processing modified for increased light olefin production. The dividing wall separation column desirably splits a naphtha feedstock produced or resulting from such modified FCC processing to produce or form a light fraction containing C5-C6 compounds, an intermediate fraction containing C7-C8 compounds and a heavy fraction containing C9+ compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventors: Michael A. Schultz, Keith A. Couch
  • Patent number: 7048782
    Abstract: Disclosed is a third stage separator which includes two main clean gas outlets. One main clean gas outlet communicates with a power recovery unit such as an expander turbine while the second main clean gas outlet communicates with a conduit that bypasses the expander turbine. The present invention avoids use of the extra equipment, engineering and installation labor required to prevent the bypass conduit from placing a force load on the line to the power recovery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Keith A. Couch, Leonard E. Bell, Richard A. Johnson, II
  • Patent number: 6979360
    Abstract: In a cyclone separator used for separating solids from gases, we discovered placing at least one opening in a lateral surface of a gas outlet conduit on a side facing away from an inlet to the cyclone separator prevents coke deposits from forming thereon. A plurality of openings may be placed on the side of the lateral surface of the gas outlet conduit facing away from the inlet. In an embodiment, no openings are placed on a side of the lateral surface facing the inlet to the cyclone separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Ismail B. Cetinkaya, Keith A. Couch, Lawrence A. Lacijan